Chapter 1 - Human Nature

The train sways me and the other passenger's side to side. I keep my eyes glued to my phone, reading the passages of a book I’ve recently took an interest into.

Getting lost into the pages, I don’t focus on the sprawling world building or the mechanics it establishes but instead the characters.

They’re very generic, from the boy meets girl trope to the various scandalous situations the protagonist finds himself, I withdrawal it from my mind. Instead, I picture the mental spaces of these women, the main character offers nothing more than a kind spirit, followed by an impulsive nature to do right, but nothing to make him desirable.

Looking up to the crowd in the train. A young couple, in their high school years judging by both their uniforms and their uncaring manners in this public space, seem to be getting too comfortable.

They poke and play, touching each other in ways primates would gauge their potential mates. The female is attractive for her age, clearly developing in ways others her age hasn’t yet. The male is a smooth talker, but his lack of clean shave shows he’s experimenting with his looks but has no basic routine for hygiene.

An itch brews my mind.

I feel no remorse for their soon to be fallout, knowing it be inevitable due to their pheromones being their only attachment to one another, I return to my book.

I wander through the halls of my office building, fellow coworkers expressing their family plans with glee, or brown nosing their way into management positions.

I keep t myself, not a soul asking me about my life or making small talk, I feel a gaze on me, one that I find uncomfortable. Only one in particular makes their way to me.

“Hey Tosh!” They call out, wandering to my cubicle.

I sigh. “My name is Toshiro, Onizuka.”

“Sorry, aha.” The man rubs his blonde hair in another half-baked apology.

“So, you have fun plans?”

I grunt to his repeated question.

“I’m taking my girlfriend to dinner tonight.” I respond monotone.

“Oh, she’s finally back in town to see you. You’re a lucky man to have her.” He states. “Wish she still worked with us y’know. Maybe she would be an account just like me.”

I feel an itch in the back of my head, one that is very unwelcomed with the insight it gives me.

“Yeah...”

With the man's small talk spoiling my morning, he takes his leave returning to his work.

The day long in the office, I stop by my apartment to get ready.

Dust had settled on the countertop, disappointment in myself has me do a sporadic wipe down of anything I think to clean. My bed is clean as well, but knowing how my dates usually end, I leave it unmade.

“Hi Tosh.” The feminine voice of a tall, black-haired women greets as she enters my car. “Have you been waiting for me at the train station this whole time?”

“Yes, I’ve texted you a few times I was here.” I respond, her face expression shows disbelief.

“Okay, let's get to our date.” She orders. I gladly drive us off.

Getting to the restaurant and being sat down, we order food and drinks.

I notice she is distracted. Something is on her mind she can’t share with me, whether she wants to or not.

“Hopefully we can do this more... Now that I got my new job and all.” She unenthusiastically shares.

There’s discontent to her statement, I’ve always known her to never wanting a job, but with the times we live in two incomes are basic.

“I know, I know, but... You could always get a better job, or position, think of Onizuka.”

Onizuka, a man who talks on friendly terms with management, getting higher paid jobs to just do nothing in them besides looking pretty.

“You’ve always been on good terms with him. Can’t you have him help you?”

I feel the itch again.

We end dinner with an awkward air between us, she asks me if something’s wrong, I can tell she has picked up on my distance.

“I’m not in the mood.” I tell her, she was more then ready for a fun night in bed.

“Oh... Well, there always is tomorrow.” She is disappointed, but not from the missing out of sex, but my clear disinterest.

I lean against the railing of my apartment, overlooking the small street below.

I sigh.

I’ve chosen to date this girl more so to stay within the expected develop of the modern human nature. With my job being above average, a routine to stay in acceptable boundaries of attractiveness and a personality designed to be pleasant around on the daily.

I rub my brow in frustration, knowing I have to make another big change despite not even being out my twenties yet.

“Human nature sucks...”

###

Riding the train again, reading into the same boring book once more, I see the young couple.

Their touching isn’t as aggressive as it was before, their conversation steered more their school life and friends.

I’m shocked.

They managed to pass the hormonal stage of a relationship, trying to talk as humans do in the modern age. Their talk is over gossip, still within the expectedness of their generation.

Wandering the same dead halls of my office, I still have no one wanting to talk with me besides the same man.

“How was your date last night?” Onizuka asked.

“It was a great time. She’s staying the night at my place again. We’re debating having a child soon.” I lie.

Onizuka has a momentarily jolt, just enough for me to take mental note.

“That’s great man. Having a child is a big step, you should talk with her more before it gets too serious.”

“Well, she’s the one who prompted the discussion, I can’t decide.”

I can tell Onizuka is consciously in our conversation now.

With our unusually short small talk, he returns to his office. I don’t even need to feel the itch for this one.

Returning home, my girlfriend is up, having made us both dinner, passion still engrained her meal.

“How was your day?” She asked.

“It was good, how was yours?” I ask with a fake smile. I readily undress, knowing she is watching me.

“I got an interesting text today.” She states.

“Hmm? From who?” I asked, acting oblivious.

“Onizuka wanted to extend good luck for the idea of having a child. Do you know what this was about?” She asked with distaste in her tone.

“Well.” I wander over, letting my physique garner her interest. “I felt nervous over the idea yesterday... But I could help but think that it would be nice to have a child with you...”

“R- Really?” She asked excited. “B- But I just got my new job and- and- we can’t afford that right now- And my parents would-” I quiet her with a kiss.

“I’ll talk with Onizuka tomorrow, see if he could help me with a job.” I smile.

“You would? For me?” She asked cautiously.

I nod, choosing to pick her up to further enact my plans.

###

The train ride has my interest for once. The young couple is split, keeping a distance from one another in the tram. I assumed they made a connection because of the ride to school, but this confirmed that idea.

What has me is the fact the man is disgruntled, while the girl keeps peaking over. I assumed their story would be the guy oversteps a boundary as they do, making a mistake that’ll haunt him his school life. But the girls desire to speak with him has me at odds.

Their atmosphere the last few weeks has been conversation centered, learning to act appropriate in public. They even began to invest into one another's interests, as he would regularly show off some kind of soccer ball and he’s would usually be her phone.

The book I’m reading is also interesting as one of the women head over heels is making distance from the protagonist unlike the last chapter. Her quiet character archetype makes me think she’s going to suddenly yell out her love for him or something similar.

The itch is a sign.

Wandering the office floor, I feel an unusual presence.

“H- Hello Mr. Kage.”

A young female approached, I don’t have any recollection of her. Her short black hair covered her eyes, her short stature, only up to my chest, squirmed nervously. Being unable to see her eyes, it was hard to get a read on her.

“How can I help?” I asked with a smile.

“O- Oh. I wanted to say congrats on your baby... It’s a big change.” She expressed.

I have no conscious memory of this woman, but it’s clear his demeanor shows she knows me, comfortably so by her tone.

“Thank you, sorry I have memory problems, do I know you by chance?”

“O- Oh! Yes, I’m Imani! W- We were in orientation together...”

I don’t remember. “Oh, sorry. My life has been in a blur since we started, how’s the job holding up so far?” My conversation starter has her eyes sparkle.

We have a pleasant conversation, more focused on me being the center point. Though sudden, her demeanor shifted in a way I didn’t understand.

“Uh... If it may be okay for me to ask... Can I have your number?”

I didn’t need the itch for this one either, she likes me.

I don’t know what I did but this woman has emotions towards me. I can smell the pheromones she’s giving off, knowing there's a physical attraction. He clear stuttering and loss in focus means there’s an underline issue that if it wasn’t for the smell, I would assume she was a dunce.

“Sure.” She is gleeful to my confirmation.

With a refreshing conversation, Onizuka makes his unpleasant appearance.

“I see you have another girl to talk to huh, Tosh.” He greets. Imani seems surprised by his appearance.

“I thought you were on vacation?” I recalled, Imani’s head turn to me confirms my intuition.

“Got cancelled is all. But hey! Congrats on the kid!” He half smiles.

The itch is strong.

“Yeah, it’s been a scary ride so far. But her baby bump is already strong at 5 weeks. Before we know it, our child will already be born.” I humor.

Onizuka chuckles with a distant feel. “That’s great man, glad to hear.”

I can feel Imani’s eyes dart back and forth with our subtext battle, with her eyes strongly locked onto Onizuka.